Prince Andrew is seemingly refusing to hand over the keys to the Royal Lodge and is determined that King Charles has "no power" to force him out. Inside sources say a "fragile" Prince Andrew has reportedly claimed that Andrew has “no plans” to leave the property in Windsor.
It comes as it's been widely reported that the newly crowned King wants him to vacate the impressive £30million mansion reports the Mirror. Charles reportedly wants to move Andrew into the smaller Frogmore Cottage - previously the home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
But the disgraced Prince reportedly believes he is safe to ignore the monarch's wishes and remain in the 30-room mansion because of the lease he signed in his own name. A source who is said to be in regular contact with Andrew, told The Times: “The lease is in the duke’s name so no one can take that away from him.
“It has never been suggested that it could be taken away from him. It’s a long lease with 80 to 90 years left on it. This is a lease between him and the Crown Estate. That’s not a matter for the King. It’s a matter for the chancellor of the exchequer. The only way you could get him to move out would be through an arrangement — he would have to agree."
They also said that the King wouldn't attempt to force Andrew out by cutting his utilities off and even went as far as claiming that trying to force his little brother out would make Charles unpopular within the Firm. It comes following the news that Andrew was forced to step down from royal duties after Virginia Giuffre accused him of having sex with her when she was a teenager, a claim he has always denied.
During an infamous interview with BBC's Newsnight, the 63-year-old failed to offer his sympathy for his former pal, Jeffrey Epstein's sex victim and claimed he had been "too honourable". The King's brother agreed to a multi-million-pound settlement with Ms Giuffre outside court.
A number of reports have claimed that the Royal Lodge was being lined up for Prince William and Kate. However, if Andrew is determined to honour his lease it would mean he would reside there until it expires, which is in 75 years.
The Mail on Sunday previously reported a “fragile” Prince Andrew was feeling down over the dispute, but “refusing to budge” from the property or change his mind. As the royal family seemingly feud over mansions, a source claimed Andrew was “refusing to see anybody” and questioned whether it was fair that he- who faced the possibility of appearing in a US court- was being kicked out.
They added: “He's concerned that now the Coronation is over, the knives are out. He's worried that the royals might even turn off the utilities to get him out of there. But we're dealing with human beings, not real estate.”
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